Another Mile Another Destination Blog: MSC Meraviglia Cruise Ship

“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.”

Zora Neale Hurston

MSC Meraviglia

We booked a four night Bahamas Cruise on the MSC Meraviglia Cruise Ship through the Vacations to Go website. It was a great all inclusive deal that included, a drink package, internet package, and three free specialty restaurants. Since we were only on a four night cruise, it was difficult to get to all three restaurants, but we made it work with a little help from MSC. Our destination was to Nassau and the Ocean Cay Marine Reserve. We never dreamed how nice this cruise would be and for a great price too.

When we pulled up to the Port Canaveral Cruise Port and got our first sighting of this majestic ship, It was much larger than we expected. We didn’t realize this ship is the largest of the MSC cruise ships and also the fifth largest cruise ship in the world as of this time in 2022. This was the largest cruise ship we were ever on and we were excited to get on board to start our trip.

We got there early before our boarding time since Joe is always on military time, which means arrive at least an hour early. The staff was very helpful and set us up by starting the boarding process early. All MSC staff members were very friendly and helpful and made this whole process a breeze. It helped we had all our documents ready and easily available. When they announced we could board the ship, we were one of the first ones on board. As we entered the ship, much of the crew were lined up to welcome us and answer any questions we may have had.

Our room

We got to our room which was also ready early and found it was a good size with a lot of storage and a nice balcony. We had a king size bed, nice size bathroom with a shower and tub, and a sofa in our sitting area. We got to meet our room steward, who was very nice and who took great care of us throughout the cruise. After getting settled in, we were off to explore this impressive ship. We loved the design of this ship which smarty uses seven of the nineteen decks for rooms which made it more quiet since the rooms were a distance from the entertainment areas of the ship.

Marketplace

White party

The first thing we did was to go to deck 15 where the Horizon Pool was located as well as the Marketplace Buffet. We got a bite to eat, sat down, and ordered a nice drink to enjoy near the pool while the ship was still quiet. We were impressed by the buffet which had a nice selection of delicious looking foods. The views from this deck were great and they had some Caribbean music playing in the background to set the mood for this trip. Later on the cruise they played movies under the stars and other nights they had great dance parties. We went to the white night party and had a blast. Throughout the day, there was always something happening on this level.

After lunch we headed down to get a tour of the Aurea Spa. What an amazing space on this ship. They had a beauty and nail salon, massage rooms, steam room, thermal room, hot tubs and more to get you totally relaxed and pampered during this cruise. Our daughter scheduled to have a massage and since it was early on before leaving the port, they gave her a great deal. She said it was totally amazing and she felt like a new woman after being spoiled. What a great way to start the cruise.

The Galleria has a two floor 315 foot promenade with a gorgeous ever changing 5166 square feet LED Dome display screen on the ceiling. The scenes are gorgeous from blue sky and clouds to a beautiful stained glass display. It was stunning and added a great ambiance on the promenade. Along the promenade were the fancy restaurants with gourmet dining, boutiques, clubs, and shopping. During the night, the clubs come alive with music, great entertainment, and dance parties.

Broadway Theatre

The Broadway Theatre was nicely designed and plenty of room for anyone wanting to see a show. If you are on a seven day cruise, you can see a different show every night. We scheduled to see all the shows at the Broadway Theatre which included two highly energetic dance and singing shows, and a magic show. On the last night, they brought out two Opera singers that were fabulous. We only wished they would have brought them out for other shows. They were outstanding and gave us chills listening to them.

On the upper decks there was a nice gym by Techno gym with state of the art equipment, a sports center, and an outdoor water park with slides, pool, splash pad, and rope climbing area. The girls loved the slides as they were so fast and fun. The mini and junior clubs were very nice and the staff were kind enough to show us around even when they were not open.

There are two main dining rooms but because we had such a good cruise package with the three specialty restaurants, we only ate in the Waves main dining room once. They pampered us when we came in and said they missed us. They treated us like kings and we almost felt bad for not going there. The waiter made me a rose out of a napkin for my birthday. So sweet.

I say almost because all three of the specialty restaurants we went to were spectacular. The staff is all of them were superb and the food was beyond good. We ate at the Butchers Cut and had one of the most tender steaks I’ve ever had. The wait staff there were great, especially Mani and John Paul. They were funny and very attentive even showing us a magic trick with toothpicks.

Isabella

We also ate at Kaito Teppanyaki Restaurant when had great food and sushi. Once again the staff was great and we felt pampered. This restaurant had a nice atmosphere. The last restaurant we went to was Ocean Cay Seafood. These folks went way beyond what they needed to do. My husband got to the restaurant as they were closing and I went to change quickly out of my bathing suit. I got confused about where our room was so I was delayed. They told him to come in and he ordered for me. They stayed open just for us .Isabella was a wonderful waitress and was super sweet to us. That meant a lot since it was my birthday and they were all wonderful and patient. We were the only ones in the restaurant. I couldn’t believe they kept it open just for us.

This ship also has a bowling alley, simulator, and arcade game area. These items were not included in the normal fare. Also not included in most cruises is specialty restaurants, photos, alcoholic beverages, and gratuities. We were lucky enough to have some of these included in our fare from Vacations to Go. We do always bring extra cash to tip the dining room and room stewards for their good service. They sure do deserve it as they work so hard.

My granddaugher, Kaley

Kaley

The dazzling Swarovski crystal studded staircase was the centerpiece in the main atrium and was so impressive. This stunning staircase was all lit up which made the stairs really shine. The main atrium had a nice sitting area where you could listen to the wonderful piano player who was there at different times of the day entertaining everyone. This ship was truly beautiful.

One day they had an Acrobatic Cocktail Demo by some of the bartenders in the main atrium near the reception area. They put on a fun show by juggling bottles and glasses while making specialty cocktails. This was very entertaining and we really enjoyed it.

The casino on the ship was always lively and filled with excitement. It was fun watching all the people in the gorgeous and colorful room. The bells from the slots machines were ringing and I could hear the change pouring out of the slots.

This ship was built by Chantiers de L’Atantique Shipyard in St. Nazaire, France and it entered service June 2017. It is just over 1036 feet long and hold 5,642 passengers and 1,608 crew members. There are 2,214 staterooms and this ship cruises in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.